{"id":134796,"date":"2023-10-02T10:24:57","date_gmt":"2023-10-02T14:24:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thecollegefix.com\/?p=134796"},"modified":"2023-10-02T10:24:57","modified_gmt":"2023-10-02T14:24:57","slug":"teacher-quits-jobs-then-complains-she-cant-make-200-student-loan-payments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thecollegefix.com\/teacher-quits-jobs-then-complains-she-cant-make-200-student-loan-payments\/","title":{"rendered":"Teacher quits jobs, then complains she can\u2019t make $200 student loan payments"},"content":{"rendered":"

ANALYSIS:\u00a0<\/strong> Media amplifies stories of people who quit their jobs and are now struggling to pay their debt<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

A teacher who quit her job is now struggling to make her $200 a month student loan payments.<\/p>\n

But she is just one of the people the mainstream media has made the face of the student loan restart, which began yesterday, after a three and a half year freeze.<\/p>\n

Parvanae Abdi, without lining up a new job, \u201cdecided to give up [her teaching career] in search of employment that would allow her to pay rent, bills and student loan payments.\u201d<\/p>\n

Abdi, who has a graduate degree in education, \u201cdoubts she will be able to meet her loan obligation,\u201d according to NBC News<\/a>. Her LinkedIn shows she has not worked as a teacher in five years, and even then that was as a substitute teacher.<\/p>\n

Another is Patrick Donohue, who quit his 20-year career with AT&T along with his wife, a dental assistant. The 67-year-old took out loans for his kids and \u201cstill works part-time to bring in extra income.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said he is \u201cfloating along or treading water.\u201d He also doesn\u2019t want to dip into his savings or his inheritance from his parents. The article does not mention any underlying illness or other obstacle to either he or his wife working. The article did mention that another borrower, who has $1 million in student loan debt with his wife, survived cancer.<\/p>\n

Another person struggling is Domonique Byers who is a human resources consultant and has an MBA. Byers called the $800 monthly payment \u201csuffocating.\u201d<\/p>\n

Of the student loan payment restart that has been anticipated for months now, Byers said \u201cI don\u2019t think anyone really has any idea where the next few months are headed.\u201d<\/p>\n

But while NBC focused on a handful of stories, affiliate company CNBC focused<\/a> on the racial angle, reporting that \u201cLatino student loan borrowers face extra challenges as payments restart.\u201d CNBC did report that \u201cLatinos borrow less than their white peers to pay for college,\u201d but still face problems.<\/p>\n

That includes Ana Paul Cortes, who took out $100,000 in loans to pay for her master\u2019s degree in creative writing. She is working as a cat sitter now while she looks for other work.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, survey data shows many student loan borrowers planned to use the pause to take on more debt or buy drugs or alcohol. \u201cOther categories in which applicants say they are likely to spend the money include stock market investments, gifts, gaming, wedding, and gambling,\u201d The College Fix<\/em> previously reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A study<\/a> from the University of Chicago found recipients of the payment pause \u201cincreased private debt for paused public debt.\u201d<\/p>\n

MORE:\u00a0<\/strong>Two-thirds of borrowers would boycott student loan payments<\/a><\/p>\n

IMAGE: Vladimir Gjorgiev\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n

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